30 THE SOUTHEEN APPALACHIAN FOKESTS. 



a diameter of 30 inches, and occurs only alon^ the banks of the larger streams. 

 It seeds abundantly and reproduction is good. The wood is coarse and hard. 

 The tree is chiefly valuable in protecting the banks of streams. 



Sweet hirch {Betula lento). The sweet birch is found along cold mountain 

 streams, on northern slopes, where it reaches a height of 90 feet and a diameter 

 of 36 inches. The timber is used to some extent in the manufacture of furniture. 

 Birch oil is obtained by distillation from the bark. The species seeds often and 

 reproduces freely. 



Yellmv hirch {Betula lutea). The yellow birch reaches a height of 80 feet 

 and a diameter of 36 inches, and is common in cold ravines and on northern 

 slopes, especially at high elevations. Many of the trees are curly, and yield a 

 valuable cabinet wood. It seeds freely and reproduces well on moist land among 

 laurel brush. 



Hop hornbeam {Ostrya virginiana). This tree reaches a height of 40 feet 

 and a diameter of 12 inches, and is common along streams. The wood is very 

 hard and firm. 



Ironwood {Carpinus caroliniana). The ironwood is seldom more than 30 feet 

 in height and 10 inches in diameter. It occurs sparingly on moist shady slopes. 

 The wood is very hard and tough. 



Beech {Fagus americana). The beech reaches a height of 100 feet and a 

 diameter of 30 inches. It is common on moist lands along streams and in 

 hollows, where it attains its greatest size, and on cold slopes at high elevations, 

 where it forms dense groves of small trees. It seeds frequently and reproduces 

 freely. The wood is hard, tough, and fine grained. 



Chestnut [Castanea dentata). ^The chestnut is a large tree which attains a 

 height of 120 feet and a diameter of 7 feet. It is common on nearh' all soils 

 above 2,000 feet, but decreases in abundance below that elevation, reaching its 

 greatest development in deep hollows at about an altitude of 3,000 feet. The 

 wood is rather soft, but valuable and durable, and is extensively used locally for 

 building and fencing, and is largely sawed for shipment. The collection of the 

 nuts forms an important industry. It regenerates well from stool shoots and 

 from seeds, which are borne regularly and in abundance. The rate of growth is 

 very rapid, being greater than that of any other hard wood of the region. 



Chinquapin {Castanea pumila). The chinquapin is seldom more than 40 feet 

 in height and 24 inches in diameter. It is frequent on dry soil below an 

 elevation of 3,000 feet. The wood is similar to that of the chestnut. 



White oak {Quercus alba). The white oak reaches a height of 120 feet and 

 a diameter of 5 feet, and is common below an elevation of 4,500 feet, especially 

 on rocky soil. The timber is regarded as superior to that of the other oaks and 



